London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1918
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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In the following table will be seen the number of houses, the authorised number of lodgers, the number of convictions, with the penalties inflicted and other particulars, during each year since the outbreak of war :—
| Year. | No. of houses licensed. | Authorised number of lodgers. | No. of day visits by inspectors. | No. of night visits. | No. of prosecutions. | No. of convictions. | Penalties and costs. | No. of cases of infectious disease. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | — | |||||||
| — | ||||||||||
Seamen's Lodging Houses.
In 1901 the London County Council made by-laws under section 214 of the Merchant Shipping
Act, 1894, dealing with the inspection, sanitary condition and well-ordering of seamen's lodging houses.
In 1909 the by-laws were amended in certain particulars and a new series came into force on 1st January,
1910. In February, 1910, powers were conferred on the County Council for the licensing of seamen's
lodging houses, and since that year all such houses have been annually licensed. In June, 1917, the
by-laws were further amended to permit of a wider interpretation of the definition of a " seaman," as
the then existing by-laws were restricted in their application to houses where seamen who had service
as such within the preceding four weeks were lodged; great difficulty was experienced in proving sea
service within this period, and the four week limit was therefore eliminated in the new by-laws. In
compliance with the suggestion of a Thames Police Court Magistrate, posters and handbills in English,
Chinese, Yiddish and Arabic were displayed and distributed in the districts catering for seafarers, warning
lodging house keepers as to the heavy penalties they would be liable to on conviction for accommodating
seamen without a licence.
In the following table will be seen the number of houses, the authorised number of lodgers, the number of convictions, with the penalties inflicted and other particulars, during each year since these houses were licensed by the Council.—
| Year. | No. of licensed houses. | Authorised number of lodgers. | No. of day visits. | No. of night visits | No. of prosecutions. | No. of convictions. | Penalties and costs. | No. of cases of infectious diseases. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Soldiers' Rest Houses.
In February, 1916, the Council was asked by the Army Council to render assistance by its officers
in connection with the supervision of the sanitary arrangements and other kindred matters affecting
shelters provided for troops in London. Certain officers of the Public Health department were detailed
for this work, inspections being made as far as possible twice weekly by day and less frequently
at night. Close co-operation between the Council's officers and the Inspector of Rest Houses, Colonel
Valentine Matthews, acting under the Officer Commanding the London District, has been effective
in securing great improvements in the conditions obtaining in these rest houses. By working to a standard
of sanitary requirements, overcrowding was practically abolished, adequate w.c. and lavatory accommodation
was secured and regard was paid to the necessity for cleanliness and ventilation. Further
assistance was rendered in securing the prompt removal of cases of sickness, the cleansing of inmates
found in a verminous condition and the keeping of contacts of infectious illness under observation. In
1916 these houses numbered about 40, with accommodation for about 4,000 men, but by the end of the
year 1918 the number of houses and accommodation had increased threefold. Following upon the
armistice particulars were received concerning repatriated prisoners returning to this country and were
forwarded to the borough medical officers of health.
Census of Homeless Persons.
In accordance with the practice which has obtained for several years, a census of homeless persons
in the County of London was taken on the night of 15th February, 1918. Owing to war conditions
only the central, eastern and northern parts of the county, where such persons are usually found, were
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